Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;Zaza Purple&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zaza Purple’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly rounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; dark green-colored leaves; uniform and freely flowering habit; long flowering period; and relatively large decorative-type inflorescences with dark purple-colored ray florets.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum X morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ZAZA PURPLE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum X morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Zaza Purple’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium. The objective of the breeding program is to create new uniformly mounding and freely flowering Chrysanthemum plants with unique and attractive ray floret coloration.

The new Chrysanthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in September, 2011 of Chrysanthemum X morifolium (formerly referred to as Dendranthema grandiflora) ‘Gedi One Jam’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,891, as the female, or seed, parent with Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Ivotti’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in September, 2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by vegetative terminal cuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in September, 2014. Asexual reproduction by vegetative terminal cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Zaza Purple’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Zaza Purple’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant:

1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly rounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit.

2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.

3. Dark green-colored leaves.

4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.

5. Long flowering period.

6. Relatively large decorative-type inflorescences with dark purple-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from the female parent, ‘Gedi One Jam’, in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more uniform in plant shape than plants of ‘Gedi One Jam’.

2. Lateral branches of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more flexible than lateral branches of plants of ‘Gedi One Jam’.

3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are decorative in form whereas inflorescences of plants of ‘Gedi One Jam’ are pompom in form.

4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and ‘Gedi One Jam’ differ in ray floret color as plants of ‘Gedi One Jam’ have pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from the male parent, ‘Ivotti’, in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more uniform in plant shape than plants of ‘Ivotti’.

2. Lateral branches of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more flexible than lateral branches of plants of ‘Ivotti’.

3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger inflorescences than plants of ‘Ivotti’.

4. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are darker purple in color than ray florets of plants of ‘Ivotti’.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘PPP POB LVO5’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,105. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of ‘PPP POB LVO5’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about one month later than plants of ‘PPP POB LV05’.

2. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are darker purple in color than ray florets of plants of ‘PPP POB LV05’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum plant. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Zaza Purple’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 19-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium during the summer and autumn and under cultural practices generally used in commercial Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 18° C. Plants were 20 weeks old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2005 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Zaza Purple’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Gedi             One Jam’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,891.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Chrysanthemum X morifolium             ‘Ivotti’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Vegetative terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 14 days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 30 days             at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 40 days             at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically light brown in             color, actual color of the roots dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer, substrate             temperature and age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Perennial decorative-type Chrysanthemum; stems             upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly rounded             appearance to the plant; plants nearly spherical in overall             shape; very freely branching habit, about 25 primary lateral             branches develop per plant, each primary lateral branch with             multiple secondary branches; pinching is not required,             however, will enhance lateral branch development; dense and             full plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; medium             growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 35 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 50 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm             to 3 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm. Strength: Strong,             flexible. Aspect: Upright to outwardly spreading. Texture             and luster: Fine pubescence; longitudinally ridged; matte.             Color: Close to 136A.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 3.5 cm             to 6 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm to 4 cm. Apex: Rounded to             cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed and             serrate, sinuses between lateral lobes divergent to             parallel. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces:             Slightly pubescent; matte. Color. Developing leaves, upper             surface: Close to 137A. Developing leaves, lower surface:             Close to 137C. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close             to 136A; venation, close to 148C. Fully expanded leaves,             lower surface: Close to 137A; venation, close to 147B to             147C. Petioles. Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces. Slightly             pubescent; slightly rough; matte. Color, upper surface:             Close to 146C. Color, lower surface: Close to 146D. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form;             inflorescences borne on terminals above foliar plane; disc             and ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant, pungent.         -   Flowering time.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower in mid-September in Belgium; response time is about             six weeks.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about six weeks on the plant grown in an             outdoor nursery; inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit with             about 30 inflorescences developing per lateral branch with             numerous inflorescences developing per plant.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 6 mm. Diameter: About             1 cm. Shape: Globular. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;             matte. Color: Close to 136A.         -   Inflorescence size and shape.—Diameter: Relatively large,             about 6 cm. Depth (height): About 3 cm. Disc diameter: About             1 mm.         -   Receptacles.—Diameter: About 3 mm. Height: About 2.5 mm to             3 mm. Shape: Circular; raised dome. Texture and luster:             Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: Close to 144B.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 150 ray florets             per inflorescence arranged in about ten whorls. Length:             About 3 cm to 4 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape: Oval. Apex:             Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Aspect: Mostly             flat. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; matte. Color. When opening, upper surface: Close             to 83A. When opening, lower surface: Close to N81B. Fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 77A; color becoming closer             to 77B with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 77B; color becoming closer to N8OD with development.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 30 disc             florets per inflorescence and spirally massed at the center             of the receptacle; mostly inconspicuous. Length: About 3 mm.             Diameter: About 0.5 mm to 1 mm. Shape: Tubular, elongated;             apices acute. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy.             Color. When opening: Close to 145A. Fully opened: Close to             12A.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity and arrangement: About 25 phyllaries             per inflorescence arranged in about two or three whorls.             Length: About 4 mm to 6 mm. Width: About 2 mm to 3 mm.             Shape: Ovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Rounded to truncate.             Margin: Entire; translucent. Texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color, upper             surface: Close to 137A. Color, lower surface: Close to             N137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 5 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 5 cm. Length, seventh peduncle: About             5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle, lateral peduncles: About             30° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and             luster: Slightly pubescent; matte. Color: Close to 136A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed. Gynoecium:             None observed.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum to date. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Chrysanthemum plants has not been observed on plants of the new     Chrysanthemum grown under commercial production conditions to date. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated excellent garden performance and will tolerate     temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 45° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zaza Purple’ as illustrated and described. 